Ten more days 'til the Solstice, but I'm officially declaring that Winter here has begun.
We had a big storm on Wednesday complete with snow, sleet and high winds (very high winds) followed by a bit of rain which froze and made driving a real adventure. Half the town lost power for most of the day. My landlord's yard tractor died and we had to dig out the (extremely long) driveway by hand. Fun, fun, fun... Right now it's 10 degrees (- 12 C) and very breezy but at least it looks like the sun is going to stay out. I could use a sunny day. It was frigid and very clear last night and I saw the first of the Geminid Meteors(!) There will be more and more of them over the next few nights. Get out and see them if you can.
I've had only one eagle sighting over the past couple weeks and there have been no further raids on the local ducks. There are lots of fish in the river and a big flock of slow, stupid and very tasty looking pheasant that live just a bit up the road - I assume that they make up most of the Eagles' menu. They don't even have to hunt them. Several birds come to an inglorious end trying to cross the road each and every day.
In other news - I got robbed. I had a couple of people doing work here and now some small but valuable items are missing. Total value was only a couple thousand dollars but - well, it sucks. You think you can trust people.
I went out last night to enjoy a movie and a wonderful dinner (including Turducken!) with friends. There must have been some ice in my car door and when I tried to open it the handle mechanism broke. I'll be sliding across the seats for the next couple of days until I either fix it myself (it may be too cold for that) or bring it in to get it done. Last month the water pump failed (spectacularly) and the month before I had to get a new set of tires. Life has been a bit expensive lately.
I figured I needed something to cheer myself up so I spent even more money and bought myself a new TV and blu-ray player. Hey, I deserved it. I've been relatively good this year and, quite frankly, I didn't think I could count on Santa to come through... So, I've been watching way too many movies - many of my old favorites, including several I'd just watched the last month or so. I've enjoyed sitting at my desk and viewing DVDs on my PC but I must admit that it is absolutely wonderful to lounge on the couch with my favorite beverage close at hand and my cat in my lap. She generally sits mesmerized for the first few minutes, then curls up and goes to sleep. Everybody's happy. Also, now I can have friends over to watch with me, instead of always going over to their homes. I figure it was money well spent. I haven't been doing much reading lately though.
Happy Hannukah to my Jewish friends!
I'm trying to stay warm, getting ready for Christmas (even though I don't celebrate the religious part of it) and looking forward to the New Year. I hope that all is well with you and yours. Take care...
We had a big storm on Wednesday complete with snow, sleet and high winds (very high winds) followed by a bit of rain which froze and made driving a real adventure. Half the town lost power for most of the day. My landlord's yard tractor died and we had to dig out the (extremely long) driveway by hand. Fun, fun, fun... Right now it's 10 degrees (- 12 C) and very breezy but at least it looks like the sun is going to stay out. I could use a sunny day. It was frigid and very clear last night and I saw the first of the Geminid Meteors(!) There will be more and more of them over the next few nights. Get out and see them if you can.
I've had only one eagle sighting over the past couple weeks and there have been no further raids on the local ducks. There are lots of fish in the river and a big flock of slow, stupid and very tasty looking pheasant that live just a bit up the road - I assume that they make up most of the Eagles' menu. They don't even have to hunt them. Several birds come to an inglorious end trying to cross the road each and every day.
In other news - I got robbed. I had a couple of people doing work here and now some small but valuable items are missing. Total value was only a couple thousand dollars but - well, it sucks. You think you can trust people.
I went out last night to enjoy a movie and a wonderful dinner (including Turducken!) with friends. There must have been some ice in my car door and when I tried to open it the handle mechanism broke. I'll be sliding across the seats for the next couple of days until I either fix it myself (it may be too cold for that) or bring it in to get it done. Last month the water pump failed (spectacularly) and the month before I had to get a new set of tires. Life has been a bit expensive lately.
I figured I needed something to cheer myself up so I spent even more money and bought myself a new TV and blu-ray player. Hey, I deserved it. I've been relatively good this year and, quite frankly, I didn't think I could count on Santa to come through... So, I've been watching way too many movies - many of my old favorites, including several I'd just watched the last month or so. I've enjoyed sitting at my desk and viewing DVDs on my PC but I must admit that it is absolutely wonderful to lounge on the couch with my favorite beverage close at hand and my cat in my lap. She generally sits mesmerized for the first few minutes, then curls up and goes to sleep. Everybody's happy. Also, now I can have friends over to watch with me, instead of always going over to their homes. I figure it was money well spent. I haven't been doing much reading lately though.
Happy Hannukah to my Jewish friends!
I'm trying to stay warm, getting ready for Christmas (even though I don't celebrate the religious part of it) and looking forward to the New Year. I hope that all is well with you and yours. Take care...
VIEW 11 of 11 COMMENTS
jozsef:
I think you hit the nose on the head with that humidity suggestion, sir. I shall acquire one at the earliest opportunity. A good friend informs me that his life has been immeasurably improved since he moistened his surroundings. I'm thinking Delicatessen. 
stampedeofworms:
That article might be the coolest thing ever, and to think that you actually heard FM Mother Nature. It makes me wonder about all the holy men and women who have heard voices over the years, maybe they were just tuned in to DJ Cosmos.